Registration Now Open for SPG Double Play Promotion
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Starwood Preferred Guest just opened registration for their new first quarter promotion of 2015 which is SPG Double Play, where SPG members will earn double Starpoints on eligible stays (those that earn Starpoints, i.e. paid nights) of two or more consecutive nights. This is for stays between January 5-April 15, 2015.
Only base Starpoints – so 2x points per $1 – are doubled. Not elite-level bonus points or those earned by paying with a Starwood co-branded credit card.
Here's where the double play part comes in: registered members are also eligible to receive a 1,000-Starpoint bonus for every eligible five nights between January 5-April 15, and these nights do not need to be consecutive.
The two possible bonuses are:
-Double Starpoints calculated on base Starpoints earned on eligible stays of two or more consecutive nights
-1,000 bonus Starpoints for every five eligible nights up to 4,000 maximum
There is no limit to the number of double bonus points you can earn during this period, but you can only earn those incremental 1,000-point bonuses up to a maximum of four times (so beyond staying 20 nights, you will not earn any more of them).
Note: there is a list of about 100 non-participating hotels so before you book any stays, be sure to reference this list to see if you will indeed earn bonus points.
Worth It?
This promo doesn't blow me away, and is not much different from Starwood's recent More For You double/triple points promo. The difference here is that instead of earning 3x points on stays that include a Friday/Saturday night, you get 1,000 bonus points for every 5 nights of stays.
To be honest, I was more excited about SPG's two one-off promos where you can earn 500 points per stay up to three stays for booking through the SPG app now through March 31; and the 500 points you could have earned for updating your SPG profile preferences this fall.
However, earning a base of 4 Starpoints per dollar is a pretty decent return on your spending. I value Starpoints at about 2.4 cents apiece, so that is like getting at least a 4.8% return on your spending.
As a 100+ night Platinum elite myself, I could be earning up to 8x Starpoints per dollar myself with the 4x from this promo, plus 2x more bonus points per $1 with my status and another 2x points per dollar when using my Starwood Amex, which is enough to keep me interested.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.